MEDIA

Washington Post A psychiatrist was found guilty of distributing 1,200 painkillers after opioid task force bust By Kim Bellware February 24, 2020 A Tennessee psychiatrist who prescribed more than 1,200 pills to three sisters in three years was found guilty in federal court Friday of distributing powerful opioid painkillers without a “legitimate medical purpose,” according to a statement from the Justice Department. The verdict against Richard Farmer, 83, marks the first conviction for a federal task force formed in 2018 to crack down on illegal opioid prescriptions in the Appalachian region amid the federal government’s sometimes-controversial effort to stem [...]

Newsroom Becroft adds pressure to police review By David Williams February 24, 2020 Selwyn Leeks - Psychiatrist Pressure is building on a police review of their file into Lake Alice psychiatrist Selwyn Leeks. The review was prompted by a landmark decision by the United Nations Committee against Torture, which demanded a prompt, impartial and independent investigation into allegations of abuse and torture at the notorious state psychiatric hospital, near Whanganui, in the 1970s. Leeks was the psychiatrist in charge of the child and adolescent unit. The abuse claims aren’t contested by New Zealand authorities, but the UN [...]

Psych Richard Farmer Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, February 21, 2020 West Tennessee Psychiatrist Found Guilty of Unlawfully Distributing Opioids A federal jury found a west Tennessee doctor guilty today for unlawfully distributing opioids to purported patients and to others who were never his patients. The defendant was charged in an April 2019 indictment as part of the first Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force Takedown, and this was the first trial guilty verdict for the ARPO Strike Force. Following an eight-day trial, Richard Farmer, M.D., 83, of Memphis, [...]

Philadelphia Inquirer A Montgomery County ‘pill mill’ doctor traded cash for opioids. Now he’s heading to federal prison. by Vinny Vella February 19, 2020 Psych Spiro Kassis A Montgomery County psychiatrist who traded cash for medically unnecessary opioid prescriptions is heading to federal prison. Spiro Y. Kassis, 66, was sentenced Wednesday to four years in prison after pleading guilty to illegally distributing controlled substances, including the opiate painkiller Oxycodone. Separately,Kassis agreed to pay $1.4 million to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit and agreed to never again obtain a license for prescribing opioid medication. U.S. Attorney William [...]

WTVM 87-count indictment handed down in federal pill mill case By Jennifer Horton February 18, 2020 Psych James Edwards MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - A federal grand jury has handed down a weighty superseding indictment in a pill mill investigation involving a Lee County psychiatrist. The indictment charges Dr. James Edwards with 87 counts of distribution of a controlled substance. Those charges represent 10 patients who received controlled substances outside the course of general medical care, according to the indictment. Court records indicate Edwards’s reportedly illegal prescribing practices date back to 2015, some of the patients listed in [...]

The Sun 'WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?' How a Brit doctor created CIA torture techniques with sick human experiments on mental patients By Dan Hall February 17, 2020 Psychiatrist Ewen Cameron Brian Turley stood with a black bag on his head, his fingers numb from supporting the weight of his whole body against a cold cell wall. He'd been made to stand in the agonising stress position in a Northern Irish interrogation centre for hours as deafening white noise was blasted at him — techniques designed to psychologically break him into revealing information. Brian was [...]

Newsweek FORMER CELEBRITY PSYCHIATRIST KEITH ABLOW HAS OFFICE RAIDED BY DEA By Matt Keeley February 14, 2020 TV psych Keith Ablow Former celebrity psychiatrist and TV personality Keith Ablow's office was raided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency on Thursday, however, he was not arrested nor charged with a crime. The DEA raid started at approximately 7 a.m. at Ablow's office in Newburyport, Massachusetts, and remained there until 1 p.m. Agents removed paperwork and computers, according to The Newburyport Daily News. The DEA has not revealed what agents were looking for, but told the paper it was [...]

Tribune-Review Ligonier Township physician indicted in alleged drug conspiracy By Renatta Signorini February 7, 2020 A Ligonier Township physician acquitted in July of child molestation charges was arraigned in federal court Thursday on allegations he unlawfully distributed two weight-loss drugs, according to court papers. Psychologist Dr. Roy C. Monsour, 65, appeared in federal court in Pittsburgh Thursday afternoon for an arraignment on a charge of conspiracy, according to court records. He is free on $10,000 unsecured bond. Monsour conspired to distribute phentermine hydrochloride, a weight-loss supplement, and diethylpropion, an appetite suppressant, between November 2017 and December 2019, according to [...]

Tribune-Review Ligonier Township physician charged with indecent assault of child By Renatta Signorini October 13, 2017 ROY MONSOUR - psychiatrist Police this week arrested a Ligonier Township physician on allegations that he inappropriately touched a child on multiple occasions while the pair watched “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” according to court papers. Dr. Roy C. Monsour, 63, is charged with indecent assault and related offenses in connection with incidents alleged to have occurred between 2009 and 2014. He is free on $100,000 unsecured bond. When reached by phone Friday, Monsour referred a reporter to his attorney, who could [...]

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Ligonier psychiatrist indicted in drug conspiracy case By Torsten Ove February 7, 2020 A Ligonier doctor is under indictment in federal court on a felony conspiracy count related to the illegal distribution of two obesity treatment drugs from 2017 to 2019, and the U.S. attorney’s office has moved to seize his medical license. Dr. Roy Monsour, a psychiatrist in his mid 60s, appeared briefly Thursday before a U.S. magistrate judge to enter a not guilty plea. He was released on a $10,000 bond. A federal grand jury said Dr. Monsour, who has been practicing since 1987, conspired with [...]

CBS Los Angeles Southland Doctor Accused Of Illegally Importing Gun Parts February 10, 2020 Kamal Bijanpour - psychiatrist LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A Southland psychiatrist has been accused of illegally importing parts that could be used to make guns more dangerous. Investigators said they found firearms, illegal weapons parts and methamphetamine at the home of Kamal Bijanpour — who remained in good standing with the medical board as of Monday night. “These are very serious charges,” Matthew Chan, special assistant to the U.S. Attorney, said. Bijanpour is a practicing psychiatrist with a private practice in Long Beach who [...]

Pacific Daily News AG investigating former Behavioral Health psychiatrist By Jerick Sablan February 8, 2020 Guam Psych Abner Pasatiempo The Office of Attorney General is conducting an investigation into allegations against Dr. Abner Pasatiempo, a former Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center psychiatrist, spokeswoman Carlina Charfauros said. The AG's office expects to conclude the investigation soon, she said. Six complaints were filed against Pasatiempo in December, alleging inappropriate sexual conduct by patients. Behavioral Health Director Theresa Arriola said Pasatiempo was immediately suspended from his duties when she received the complaints. The complaints also were submitted to the Guam [...]

Australian Associated Press Psychiatrist struck off for posting 'bizarre' QAnon conspiracy theories February 6, 2020 Russell McGregor - psychiatrist A Sydney psychiatrist who posted “bizarre” alt-right conspiracy theories he claimed were the directives of US President Donald Trump to his practice’s official website has been struck off the medical register. The Dee Why doctor Russell Everard McGregor claimed Trump had taped evidence of a global Satanist paedophile network, that 9/11 was faked, and that the ABC was part of an international deep state network covering up the crimes of the elite. Many of the 300-plus posts from 2018 [...]

Fox 46 Military sexual assault, rape victims blocked from justice February 4, 2020 They put their lives on the line for us but who’s protecting them? Sgt. Sherry Futch joined the Army in 2005 at the height of the Iraq war. The Charlotte native felt it was her patriotic duty to put on the uniform. “I wanted to serve my country,” said Futch. “I wanted to honor my country.” Futch was stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state where, in 2011, she alleges she was sexually harassed, repeatedly, by one of her superiors. “He appeared to be either rubbing [...]

Evening Post Consultant psychiatrist who worked at Leeds Spire Hospital under investigation By Georgina Morris February 3, 2020 Psychiatrist - Malikayil Skaria Alexander Malikayil Skaria Alexander was the subject of an interim order hearing held in October last year when a number of conditions were placed on his licence. No information on the nature of the allegations under investigation has been published, but the conditions of the interim order include not contacting any patients via social media, not contacting patients outside working hours except in an emergency, and not carrying out consultations with anyone aged under 18. Other [...]

CBC News She's accused of sexually abusing a patient. But this London, Ont. psychiatrist says she's the victim By Kate Dubinski January 30, 2020 Psychiatrist Karin Kerfoot A London, Ont., psychiatrist who was stripped of her licence earlier this week is speaking out about working conditions at the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), a disciplinary process she says stacks the deck against physicians and a situation with a patient that she describes as a nightmare. Dr. Karin Kerfoot's medical licence was revoked Monday, when the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) ruled at a hearing in [...]

CTVNews Licence revoked for Ont. psychiatrist who sexually abused patient By Ben Cousins January 28, 2020 Psychiatrist Karin Kerfoot TORONTO -- A London, Ont. psychiatrist has lost her licence effective immediately after it was found that she engaged in the sexual abuse of one of her patients. Dr. Karin Elaine Kerfoot, who practised at the London Health Sciences Centre, was accused of “engaging in sexual intercourse, oral sex, and kissing with the patient” over a more than one-year relationship with the victim that began in May 2015, according to the written decision. She was also accused of going [...]

CBC London, Ont. psychiatrist accused of sexually abusing her patient By Kate Dubinski January 27, 2020 Psychiatrist Karin Kerfoot A London, Ont. doctor accused of sexually abusing a patient will have her case heard before a disciplinary committee today. Dr. Karin Kerfoot is a psychiatrist who practiced at the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) until two and a half years ago, when her license was suspended after she was accused of having an ongoing relationship with a patient. Kerfoot is accused of professional misconduct, namely sexual abuse of a patient, according to documents filed with the College of [...]

Arizona Republic Phoenix-based psychiatrist suspended, accused of using illicit drugs with a patient By James Carr January 26, 2020 Psychiatrist Rajeev Billing The Arizona Medical Board suspended a Phoenix psychiatrist's license on Thursday while it investigates accusations he used utilized illicit drugs with a patient. Dr. Rajeev Billing has been suspended after the board received a complaint that he "utilized illicit substances including cocaine and marijuana with a patient," according to Arizona Medical Board case documents. The patient had already been prescribed other medications, including Suboxone and Xanax and had a history of opioid abuse, according to case [...]

BioEdge Belgian trial is unveiling dark back story to euthanasia death of Tine Nys By Michael Cook January 26, 2020 Psychiatrist Godelieve Thienpont The criminal trial of three Belgian doctors for assisting in the allegedly illegal euthanasia of a woman with “unbearable psychological suffering” in 2010 is under way. The doctors have been named: Joris van Hove, Frank de Greef and psychiatrist Godelieve Thienpont. A few intriguing facts have emerged. The life of Tine Nys grew sadder with the testimony of each witness. She had been estranged from her family for years. She experienced violence in her [...]

Star Tribune Twin Cities psychiatrist pleads guilty to sexually assaulting patient January 23, 2020 Psychiatrist Gavin Patrick Meany A Twin Cities psychiatrist pleaded guilty Thursday to sexually assaulting a female patient at his south metro office and home. Dr. Gavin Patrick Meany, 38, of Apple Valley, entered the guilty plea to four counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, according to the Dakota County Attorney’s Office. Judge Jerome Abrams will sentence him April 20 in Hastings. In August 2019, a woman told Burnsville police that she had been abused over the past five years by Meany while receiving psychiatric [...]

MalayMail Psychiatrist accused of sexual misconduct charged again Jan 24, 2020 By Azril Annuar Psychiatrist Gurdeep SIngh KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 24 — A psychiatrist, who had previously been charged over allegedly sexually harassing his patient has been charged again today at the Magistrate’s Court in Petaling Jaya. Lawyer Francis Pereira ,who held a watching brief for the victim told the Malay Mail that the suspect Dr Gurdeep Singh had also changed lawyers from Datuk Suraj Singh to Datuk Haaziq Pillay. “He was recharged today and of course he has a new lawyer on record. He is being represented [...]

Sunshine Coast Daily Psychiatrist had sex with patient and used drugs by Michael Ramsey January 23, 2020 Psychiatrist Peter McCarthy A disgraced Perth psychiatrist who had a sexual relationship with a patient, inappropriately prescribed her stimulants and smoked marijuana in her company has had a finding of professional misconduct made against him. Peter David McCarthy, 69, also attempted to persuade the patient not to co-operate with authorities during disciplinary proceedings against him. McCarthy was subsequently convicted in 2018 by the WA District Court of attempting to pervert the course of justice. He was handed a minimum six-month jail [...]

Psychiatrist Harshad Shah LAW360 Justices Won't Hear Appeal Of Psychiatrist Who Bribed IRS January 21, 2020 The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to review a psychiatrist's challenge to his 51-month prison sentence for bribing an Internal Revenue Service agent. The justices won't consider Harshad Shah's argument that his conviction and prison sentence should be overturned because testimony referring to his Indian heritage had violated his right to a fair jury trial under Sixth Amendment protections. Shah said that the U.S. also relied on stereotypes to make the case that his heritage predisposed him to bribery. He argued it took [...]

BBC Derbyshire doctor struck off over harassment claims July 29, 2010 Psychiatrist Andrew Clayton The General Medical Council (GMC) has struck off a doctor after complaints that he sexually harassed female patients over a 12-year period. Dr Andrew Clayton, 54, practised as a consultant psychiatrist in South Derbyshire from 1987 until 2008. The panel heard he had shown sexually motivated behaviour towards two patients and two trainee workers. In two cases he asked patients to undress for unnecessary breast examinations without a chaperone. In September 1990, a patient consulted Dr Clayton at his Swadlincote clinic where he asked [...]